Dear Parents,
Welcome to another school year!! I hope you are as excited as I am to be back in school. I spent the majority of my time this summer with my new baby Lex. Cookouts with family and friends were also a high priority on my to-do-list this summer. I have tried to include all of the information needed start off the school year in this letter.
Orientation for Parents- Orientation will take place Wednesday, September 2nd, 6:15 PM – 6:45 PM. Any questions you have may be addressed at this time.
Individual Classroom Visits for New Children- Classroom visits for new children will also take place on September 2nd, I will contact you to schedule a time for your visit. The visit will take approximately a half hour, so you can spend time with your child and the children can get familiar with the room. At this time I ask you to bring in a supply of extra clothes to be used when accidents occur. Each child needs pants, underwear, more than one pair if you think it’s necessary, socks, shirt and indoor shoes with rubber soles. Please do not bring character clothes or light up shoes as they distract the children. If your child stays past 12:30 and naps, please bring a fitted crib sheet for the cot, a blanket, a pillow and a soft toy if needed. Please label all clothing. It is very difficult to remember what clothing belongs to each child.
Returning students will arrive on September8th
Please bring extra clothing, nap supplies, and indoor shoes at this time. Once again, please label all extra clothing.
Suitable Clothing - Please make sure children are dressed appropriately for the weather. We encourage independence in the classroom so please try to send clothing that your child can manage themselves. Assistance will be given when needed. Please remember to change your child’s extra clothing as the weather changes.
Make sure your child has mittens, coat, hat, boots, and snow pants when winter arrives. If your child does not have the appropriate clothing they may not go outside with the other children.
I ask that children not come to school in light up shirts or shirts with characters on them, or light up shoes for inside shoes as these items have proven to be a major distraction in the classroom. The classroom is a pre-school/Kindergarten classroom and I would like to provide the children with a calm environment conducive to learning.
Punctuality – Punctuality is essential in the primary classroom because it allows for the children to participate in all the morning work and interact with peers. It also proves to be a distraction to the other children when a child arrives late. Car line is the best time to arrive, both for the classroom and for the child. An adult (Tara) will be at the gate to greet your child and assist him/her out of the car and into the classroom. You do not need to get out of the car. This makes a much easier transition for your child and helps to keep the flow of carline moving. If you are late arriving (after carline) please bring your child to the office and Kim will take your child to the classroom. When arriving late your child has missed the start of the day and also disrupts the work of the other children. Please be respectful of “the young child at work” and be on time. I understand that at times there are appointments to be kept, but this should not be the norm.
Lunches – Please make sure your child has a nutritious lunch. I would suggest lunch include a fruit and vegetable to go with the main dish. Make sure your child has an ice pack in the lunch box if lunch needs to be kept cold. We do have a microwave in the classroom so foods can be warmed up if needed. Please avoid sending candy, cookies, Twinkies, lunchables, fast food items, and any highly refined sugar items. Extra food will be sent home to give you a better idea of how much to pack. Gum is not allowed in the classroom.
Friday is pizza day and you may choose for your child to have pizza instead of packing a lunch. Pizza is $1 per slice and .50 for a breadstick. Money may be sent in weekly or a lump sum and Kim will let you know when your child needs more pizza money.
Primary children may also order a sack lunch from the Petoskey Public Schools. A menu will come home by the second week of school that will also have the cost of the lunch on it.
Snack- Snack is provided by the primary parents. Each parent is assigned two or three snack weeks during the year. When it is your assigned snack week, please bring enough snack for all children in the classroom, there are 26 children in the classroom. A snack list is attached as well as a list of recommended snacks.
Birthdays – Birthdays are celebrated in the classroom and parents are welcome to join in their child’s birthday celebration. Parents can bring pictures of important events in the child’s life or make a poster with pictures. Stories about the child are enjoyed by all. Treats are always welcome just remember to keep them nutritious. Details can be discussed as your child’s birthday nears.
Toys – Please do not send toys to school with your child. Your child may occasionally bring a book to be read to the group or something educational to be shared, please check with me first.
Drop off & Pick-up Times :
Carline Drop- off: 8:15 AM - 8:30 AM
Pick-up for AM: 12:35 PM -12:45 PM
Carline Pick-up: 3:00 PM – 3:15 PM
Daily Schedule:
Early Care(no carline): 7:30 AM – 8: 15 AM
Carline: 8:15 AM – 8:30 AM
Work Period: 8:30 AM – 10:45 AM
Group Time: 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Lunch: 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Recess: 12:00 PM – 12:30 PM
Clean-Up/Reading: 12:30 PM -1:00 PM
Ext ended Day Work Period/Nap Time: 1:00 PM – 2:50 PM
Carline: 3:00 PM – 3:15 PM
Aftercare: 3:00 PM – 5:30 PM
After 3:30 PM your child should be picked up from the classroom.
Observation- You may observe your child any time after the first few weeks of school. It is necessary to give your child time to settle into the environment and receive lessons before you observe him/her and actually see them working in the classroom. I understand this may be hard for you the first few weeks if your child is new to the classroom. Feel free to call me and I’ll be glad to put your worries to rest. You can observe the classroom through the two way window in the coatroom. The children do their best work between 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM, after this time false fatigue sets in and they need a pick–me-up and then they are ready to go again.
Conferences- Parent teacher conferences are scheduled twice a year, the sign-up sheet will be sent home when conference time is near. Please be sure to observe your child in the classroom before your scheduled conference. If you feel you need a conference at any other time of the year just let me know.
I look forward to seeing all of you in September and cannot wait to build a lasting relationship with your child. J
Sincerely,
Racheal Byard
(231) 881-5360